Outdoors

Organizers with the 36th Annual Wild Hog Canoe & Kayak Race say it's still too early to know just how much money was made at Saturday's event, though, based on attendance, it's believed it will be one of the most prosperous.

Our winter has been unusually warm with very little freezing temperatures and no lengthy periods of cold weather.

This will create a bit of confusion for the fish and their normal patterns of habitat. When normally the fish have found deeper waters, ran up into the rivers and off the flats or just found muddy bottoms around docks or shorelines, they now are acting more like they would if it were already spring or even fall.

High winds and rough seas have made it very difficult for off shore anglers over the past weeks. While some of the more ambitious anglers may have gone out most have chosen to stay in shore or not go at all.

In shore fishing has still shown results for trout, redfish and sheepshead. With water temperatures in the fifties you may find the trout and reds moving into the rivers and channels feeding into the gulf. Deep cuts and points where two rivers or creeks meet are a good starting point to find trout and oyster laid bottoms and beds are best for redfish.

Colder waters not only mean great fishing for inshore and offshore anglers, fresh water fans are not left in the cold with nothing to do.

Cold this time of the year for many avid anglers only means one thing; speck fishing. Depending on where you are from or who your fishing mentor was, you may refer to speckled perch or just speck as black crappie. It’s tomato or tomato, it really doesn’t matter we’re talking about the same fish.

By Capt. Brylee
Special to the Pioneer
December has arrived already and with cooler water temperatures and more stable weather patterns anglers should be excited. The unpredictable conditions we see every year during the Hurricane Season have come to a halt starting in November when the tropics settled down.

The cooling Gulf waters are proving to be great for fishing both in-shore and off-shore. All along the Nature Coast reports have shown an increase in fish activity. The cooling waters have turned the fish on and they are becoming more and more frisky.

By Capt. Brylee
Special to the Pioneer
September has begun to do its job in cooling the coastal waters.
Whereas a few weeks ago the temperatures were in the mid 80s, they have begun to fall.
This week water temperatures have ranged from 81-83 degrees. Although this is a change of just a few degrees, it is often all the fish need to start feeding more.
As fall sets in the temperatures are sure to only cool more and more quickly. This will open far more off-shore opportunities for amberjack, red snapper, and grouper.